CES 2010: NYKO

NYKO has always been one of our appointments at CES because they bring some of the most innovative and common sense products to market year after year. And at the 2010 CES, we saw several new products to their lineup that keep that tradition going. I met with Chris Arbogast, NYKO’s Director of Marketing, who took me around to see all the latest products.

Earlier, Sean posted the info and some thoughts on several of NYKO newest products that they are showcasing at CES. I was able to get some hands on time with them both at the Digital Experience on Wednesday night and my appointment with them today. Sean already touched on the basics of the Wand + (Wii), Charge Base Quad IC (Wii), Intercooler Slim (PS3) and Media Hub (PS3), but here are a few more details.

The Wand + has one very distinct advantage (besides price) over the official Nintendo Wii Motion Plus. It is the exact same size as the original Wand (and Wii Remote), so it will fit in all openings (guitars, wheels, etc) that the original Wii Remotes can, but can’t when the Motion plus add-on is attached. This is a huge win for gamers, and once again a large FAIL on Nintendo’s part.

The Media Hub Slim not only expands the USB ports, it also ads an IR remote option to the PS3. This means that the included remote and remotes from companies like Harmony and Logitech will work without having to buy and expensive adapter.

The Intercooler Slim goes back to a powered pass through, meaning that there is not an ac adapter needed. Because the PS3 power source is internal (unlike the Wii and 360), the power is actually pulled from the wall socket prior to getting to the PS3 so you just plug the PS3 power cord into the Intercooler Slim.

Another unannounced product was the Core Controller for the PS3. It is a wired controller that mimics the design and lines of the PS3 controllers. While it doesn’t have Sixaxis built in, it does have rumble and the triggers are design more like the Xbox 360 where they stick out instead of bending back in. The price point will be around $19.99.

The Vertical Stand for the PS3 Slim is a carbon fiber base that adds more stability to your PS3 while it is sitting vertical and helps allow for more airflow. It doesn’t impact any ports or opening on the PS3, and changes color when you see it from different angles. At Digital Experience, it had a distinct chrome color to it, but in the NYKO suite today, it appears almost pure black. It will retail for around $14.99.

The Speaker Com 360 is a slick little device for the Xbox 360 that uses ear bud style headphones and a built–in speaker to create a new way to play and listen. It plugs directly into the 360 controller, and gives you the option to use the buds, or the built in speaker. It also has a mute button (with lock feature) on the connection point, and magnets on the buds to prevent tangling. The buds appear to be pretty comfortable too.

The Type Pad for the Wii was also on display, but is not currently (and maybe won’t be) available in the U.S.

Check out all the images from the NYKO display below, and feel free to ask any questions in the comments section.